1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data communication apparatus, a control method therefor, and a storage medium storing control program therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, multifunction printers (also known as multifunctional peripheral devices) that have a plurality of functions, such as a facsimile function, a network scan function, and a print function, in addition to a copy function, are used increasingly and widely. Usually, such a multifunction printer is provided with an operation panel having a touch screen function and an operation unit having hard keys. A user calls a desired function from a function list, and operates the apparatus.
User authentication may be required for retaining security and charging for services (and consumable goods) when a user uses the apparatus. In this case, the device performs a user authentication based on input information from a touch panel or a card, and the apparatus becomes available when the authentication is successful.
When a user uses a network scan function of which the destination apparatus is a file server, the user designates an IP address or a host name of the file server, a destination folder, a user name and a password of the login user, as transmission destination information.
The user sets 300*300 dpi as a reading resolution, A4 as a reading size, and PDF as a file format, for example, as setting items for reading. A color mode for reading an original, a transmitting document name, etc. may be set.
The multifunction printer reads an original according to the settings and transmits the read image to the designated destination using the designated communication method.
Since there are many setting items that can be designated at the time of transmission, it is useful that setting operations by a user are simplified.
When a file is transmitted to the file server, the authentication information for logging in to the file server tends to relate to the user who is operating the apparatus. Accordingly, there is a known technique for using the authentication information that was used when a user uses an apparatus as the authentication information for logging in to the file server without making a user input it again.
The transmitting processes that a user (or a plurality of users) performs most often are finite, and there is a known technique that saves transmission destinations, settings for reading, etc., which were once inputted, as settings that are frequently used. The user can call a setting when depressing a predetermined button to which the saved content is assigned, and this makes a user's transmission-setting operation easy.
If the user wants to save the transmission setting to the file server, the user can save the transmission setting as a usual setting to the apparatus by operating a menu displayed on the operation panel after the transmission setting is completed (for example as a “favorite” setting).
However, the settings saved in the apparatus are not always valid when the settings will be called. For example, when the password expiration date is set, the password to the file server may be invalid when the settings will be called. In such a case, if the user calls and transmits the setting saved in the apparatus, a transmission error will arise.
Thus, an authentication information setting apparatus that can access a server using authentication information including an ID and a password, and that can redefine the authentication information when the expiration date of the authentication information saved in the apparatus expires is proposed (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2001-167051 (JP 2001-167051A)).
However, there is not only a type of authentication information like a password that becomes invalid on the expiration date, but also another type that is valid only when a user is logged in an apparatus. It is not only meaningless to save such authentication information to an apparatus, but also it is not preferred from the point of view of security.
On the other hand, it is preferable that a user is not required to perform a setting operation again when a usual setting saved in an apparatus is called, in order to simplify a user's setting operation. For example, it is not preferable from a view point of operability that a user is required to input authentication information that is not saved as a usual setting whenever the setting is called.